Chickenshed

Mary and Jo hosted their sessions in a disused chicken shed in Wrotham Park, kindly gifted to them by local landowner Lady Elizabeth Byng.

After meeting John Bull in the 1980s, who ran local children’s home “Cheviots”, Chickenshed’s journey of true inclusion had well and truly begun.

Chickenshed has a purpose built theatre complex in Southgate which opened in 1994 after a national-scale fundraising effort, supported by the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Diana, Princess of Wales.

[5] Notable patrons of Chickenshed include Diana, Princess of Wales, Lord and Lady Rayne, Dame Judi Dench, and Michael Williams.

Chickenshed take performing arts training to the next level, by bringing together young people from all social and economic backgrounds, cultures, and abilities to study creatively alongside each other.

Amanda Holden remarked, "It was amazing, the choreography was fantastic [and] you were all in sync", with Alesha adding, "I love every single thing that you stand for and what you represent [as] inclusivity is so important".

Alesha described the group as "Incredible ambassadors for young people out there', with Bruno Tonioli adding, "This was a powerful message delivered straight from the heart".